Sensaud de Lavaud Garage

Project

Only two plans  for this project exist and only one of them has a workshop number, nor are there any photographic documents. From the correspondence between Le Corbusier and Sensaud de Lavaud, we can however be certain that the project was in fact completed.

The fact that there are so few plans is partly explained by the simplicity of the layout, with Le Corbusier relying heavily on proposals sent in by the entrepreneurs and craftsmen who worked for him.

The final version of the garage, the one favoured by Madame Sensaud de Lavaud for whom it was intended, had a sliding door made up of partly hinged five leaves mounted on curved rails. Its exterior had a deal trellis, ‘dabbed’ all over with green paint and reminiscent of the trellis used in the Maison La Roche garden. In the centre was an oeil-de-boeuf  (‘ox-eye’) window, the only source of natural light. This addition allowed Le Corbusier to create an elegant facing for the walls, helping to match the garage to the style and architecture of the mansion. There was meant to be a small bench leaning against the facade but we do not know if this was actually made.

Le Corbusier also endeavoured to give his project a more natural look by adding window boxes with climbing plants trained on slanting wires.
Progress on the work was delayed and on May 26, 1926, the exasperated client wrote to Le Corbusier, who in fact had to chase up the craftsmen more than once.